Vibe Reborn
by WizardOfMusic
Summary: During Barry Allen's absence, Team Flash had to get out of their respective comfort zones to up their game, most of all Cisco Ramon. He trained harder than ever before, becoming more in tune with his powers. And he did it for Barry, the one who truly saw the hero in him. So when his best friend finally returns from the Speed Force, Cisco is eager to show him just how far he's come.


**So over the summer I became OBSESSED with the DC TV universe, most of all The Flash! And me being all about awesome friendships, I absolutely love the brotherly bond between Cisco and Barry** **:)!** **That being said, this little blurb kinda just came out as a sweet moment between two best friends and sort of my hope for these characters in the show, not just as friends but as superheroes. I personally think it's really intriguing that the Flash and Vibe both have powers related to time and can both travel through dimensions, and a part of me really hopes that's more than just coincidence. This was also written out before the trailers or any teaser info for the new season came out, but I've decided to post this now in honor of the premiere of Season 4, which I'm so hyped for! Feedback will be much appreciated :D. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Flash or anything else in the Arrowverse.**

 **Vibe Reborn**

He was back.

It didn't matter that there were new meta-psychos out to get them, it didn't matter that it was simply out of the frying pan and into the fire, and it definitely didn't matter that he probably broke a bunch of Speed Force laws to make this happen. None of that mattered to Cisco Ramon; the only thing that mattered right now was that Barry Allen, the Flash, his _best_ friend, was BACK. He was _home_.

And he knew home was vastly different now. He knew that Central City as well as Team Flash went through a lot of changes. Ohh, did Cisco Ramon know about the _changes_. The minute Barry left he knew he had to step up, not necessarily as the leader, but as his own person. Despite any of his protests and fears about his powers, Barry always believed in him, always believed that he was a lot more than he gave himself credit for. So Cisco made the brave decision to figure out what that meant. He trained harder than he ever had before. And while he was glad to have the help of his team, a lot of his training was done in secret. Even Gypsy didn't know the extent of his practice, and keeping something like this from her was quite hard for Cisco. But he had to do it; if he really did have a grand destiny, he would have to learn it on his own terms, at least for now.

Nevertheless, the team noticed his increased skill, and they constantly praised him for it. Bit by bit, Cisco's confidence grew, and by the end of Barry's six-month absence, he actually felt more in tune with his powers. Which was terrifying; Cisco was admittedly unsettled every time Barry talked about "the Speed Force coursing through him" and having "conversations" with his powers. Cisco wasn't quite sure he was ready for anything like that. But at the same time, it did feel pretty cool. He didn't quite feel like just a metahuman anymore; he almost felt… _connected_ to the world somehow, like the universe, the multiverse, trusted him with the ability to protect it.

Hmm, protecting the multiverse. Cisco couldn't help but smile. It seemed that, for the first time perhaps, Cisco Ramon had truly accepted his powers and truly felt like _Cisco Ramon_.

And this Cisco Ramon wouldn't have Barry be stuck in the Speed Force any longer. He didn't care what they said about Barry "finishing his race". Barry's race was NOT over. Not when his team's race was just beginning. So he created another secret; he researched and researched a way to get his best friend back, and he succeeded. He SUCCEEDED. He actually broke a speedster out of the Speed Force! And Barry was home.

After the return, Team Flash took a much-deserved break from crime-fighting and celebrated A LOT; this celebration consisted of the whole gang talking and talking and talking till their voices went hoarse at three in the morning. The one thing to break up the party was a mildly disoriented Joe realizing that he had work the next day and was still sitting in the cortex of S.T.A.R. Labs. Once he left, the others got up one by one to head back to their respective homes. Soon only two were left in the lab, Cisco and Barry. Barry smiled at Cisco, and Cisco eagerly returned the gesture. Barry had changed, that much was obvious. But he was still Barry, the best friend that would listen to any story and hold any secret. And when Barry started standing up and getting ready to leave, Cisco spoke up before he missed his moment.

"Wait, there's something I wanna show you."

Barry paused and looked at Cisco with a quizzical look on his face. Once he knew he had Barry's attention, he got up and started moving down the hallway, motioning for his friend to follow. Barry did, thinking this was a bit of a random request at this hour and wondering if they both were too sleep-deprived to mentally process anything right now. After a few moments they ended up in the speed lab, and Barry was now utterly puzzled.

"Cisco, what are we doing here?"

Cisco took a deep breath, gathering all the energy he could muster. He stared straight ahead as he lifted his right arm.

"Cisco…?" Barry asked warily, wondering if his best friend had discovered some new bizarre universe in his absence.

Cisco merely ignored him, focusing solely on his vibe. Like the very first time he did so, he slowly curled his hand into a fist and tuned into the energy he could manipulate. After just a few seconds, a bluish-white amoeba of light blossomed from his fist, flowing into a contained stream in front of him and expanding into a large orb of transdimensional matter.

Barry simply stared at the portal. "Ok, you've opened a breach. Where are we going?" No response. "Cisco, I've seen you open multiple breaches. What's so different about this?" He turned to face Cisco, hoping to get an answer at least from his face if not from his words.

Then it hit him.

"Your goggles…" he began, "You're not wearing them."

Cisco then closed the breach, dropping his arm and facing Barry, beaming. "Yeah, I can kind of vibe without them now. I mean, the whole portal-opening and vibrational-attack part of vibing. It takes a lot out of me though; it's not something I can or should do often. But when I'm here or at home and I need to use my powers, I can, without any gadget or anything. I figured I could use the goggles in the field, to make things easier; then maybe my suit would become Vibe's suit. Vibe wouldn't just be my name anymore, it'd be my alter-ego, my-"

"Secret identity," Barry finished, a smile now spreading across his face. "You're really ready?"

Cisco thought for a moment and responded, "Yeah, I think I am. I mean, Vibe has already been fighting with Kid Flash for the past six months."

Barry snickered, "I'm surprised you've managed to avoid the press this whole time."

Cisco chuckled back, "I guess Vibe has been more of a vigilante than a superhero."

Barry gave a knowing grin. "Well, not for long." And Cisco couldn't help but smile back.

A minute passed before Cisco decided to speak again. "Remember when we fought the Rival last year? You said we should team up, fight crime together as Flash and Vibe."

Barry nodded. "Yeah, and you said, 'Someday.'"

Cisco paused again before continuing, "Maybe…maybe that day could be tomorrow. Or whenever the next crime happens. If…if that sounds cool to you."

Barry grinned again. "That, would be pretty 'bitchin'"

Cisco's solemn expression was broken by one of amused embarrassment. "God, can we just forget I ever used that word?"

Barry merely laughed, "Not a chance buddy," clapping his best friend on the shoulder as he walked out of the speed lab.

Cisco chuckled, hardly able to contain his excitement now. Because it didn't matter what new evils would attack Central City. Flash, Vibe, and the rest of the team were going to kick some serious ass.


End file.
